Finance Assistant
CHILD SAFEGUARDING: Level 2: The role holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or they will be working in a ‘regulated’ position; therefore a police check will be required.
ROLE PURPOSE: The Finance and Administration Assistant is a member of the Finance Team and is accountable for ensuring cash and cheques payments are issued in a timely and accurate manner in compliance with SCI procedures. The post holder will ensure the cashbox and cheque books will at all times be stored securely, the support paper work attached to each voucher is completed and filled. In addition, cashbooks and bankbooks are updated regularly and are ready for review on a weekly and monthly basis.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Programme Coordinator for Shinyanga
Number of direct reports: None
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
- Issue petty cash in line with SCI procedures & policies.
- File all associated paperwork associated with such transactions.
- Prepare Payment Vouchers for all transactions
- Record fully all transactions on an excel cashbook (daily basis).
- Follow up on late clearing of floats.
- Ensure the cashbox is stored securely during cash hours.
- Ensure sufficient cash is available in the various required denominations.
- Prepare weekly cash counts for each currency at week-end and month end, reconciling cash balances to cashbook balances – ensuring all codes are fully input.
Process cheque payments by:
- Receiving backed up invoices from Logistics/admin/Field locations.
- Preparation of Payment Authorisation Forms for approval.
- Forwarding well backed up invoices to authorised signatories for approval.
- Proper tracking of all invoices in various stages of processing.
- Preparation of cheques in line with SCI policies.
- Ensuring all invoices/payment requests (properly backed up) are fully processed within 1 week of being received in finance department.
- Filing all associated paperwork associated with all Dar cash/bank receipts or payments.
- Recording all transactions on an excel cashbook on a daily basis, ensuring coding is done properly.
- Ensuring cheques/cheque books are stored safely and securely while out of safe.
- Ensuring new cheque books are ordered in good time
- Responsible for checking and signing off on daily bank statements to ensure all debits and credits are in line with actual bank receipts and payments.
- Creating supplier’s and staff payment on the online banking system for final review by Dar Office for final review.
- Ensure month end cashbooks and bank books are ready for the finance officer’s review by the 2nd day of the following month.
Liaison with bank:
- Negotiation of exchange rate with bankers for foreign currency transactions.
- Follow up of Banking matters including stop orders, incorrect bank charges etc
- Through liaison with Finance Manager/Finance Director follow up on updating list of bank signatories.
- Bank cheque confirmation
- Any other relevant duties that may be assigned.
- Ensure the effective and efficient use of all SCI resources in order to keep costs low and ensure the security of staff.
- Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child protection, health and safety, security, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.
- Facilitate provision of financial information during external and internal audit.
- Support the Mbozi – Mbeya Finance Officer and Programme Manager on review of monthly expenditures and identify any miss posting &/corrections.
Acting Responsibilities
- Complete PR with budget holder input of specification of goods and budget code and forward to Dar focal person.
- On direction of Dar collect quotations and forward to Dar or for low level sit with Acting Programme Manager and other colleagues to analyse best value to SCI for the procurement and document decision in CBA.
- On direction of Dar receive PO and deliver to supplier in Shinyanga or draft correctly approved PO and issue to supplier locally.
- Receive goods from supplier and complete Goods Received Note checking quality and correct number of goods. Ensure a programme person witnesses receipt and countersigns GRN.
- Receive invoice from supplier and prepare Payment Approval Form and process locally or forward to Dar according to Scheme of Delegation.
- Receive any assets purchased in Dar and ensure the asset number is recorded as handed over to asset holder in Shinyanga (e.g. laptop).
- Manage the requests for vehicle movement and related fuelling with Driver and acting Programme Manager.
- Record goods/supplies being kept in the office/’warehouse’ in a ledger and release for distribution (simple goods in, goods out and balance) with distribution plan and distribution report being provided by programme staff and filed accordingly.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- At least Advanced diploma or Degree in Accounts.
- At least 2 years accounting experience
- Excellent computer skills (Preferably SUN accounting System and Excel)
- Experience in supporting and training other staff essential
- Demonstrated good skills and experience in managing financial and office administration systems
- Knowledge and experience of financial computer applications, including spreadsheets (e.g. Excel).
- Knowledge and experience in word processing and internet communications (including MS Word, Outlook, Internet Explorer)
- Good personal organisational skills, including time management and ability to meet deadlines
- Good communication and interpersonal skills as pertinent to working within a complex English-speaking team setting
- Ability to work as part of the team and to fit in well with the organisation
- Attention to detail and accuracy essential
- Ability to work under pressure
Commitment to, and understanding of, Save the Children’s aims, values, principals, and the Child Protection Policy
Desirable
- Previous experience with an international organisation is desirable
- Previous work experience with Charity or NGO/INGO
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures;
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
The deadline for submitting the application is 23 March 2021